About St. Bernadette Mission · Constantia, New York
St. Bernadette Mission was a small Roman Catholic mission church serving the village of Constantia, on the north shore of Oneida Lake in Oswego County, New York. Founded in 1959 as a mission parish, it was operated from 2015 onward as a mission of Divine Mercy Parish in Central Square, sharing clergy and pastoral staff with its larger sister parish. On July 16, 2023 — the anniversary of St. Bernadette Soubirous's final apparition at Lourdes — the parish community gathered for a closing Mass after 64 years of ministry. The mission sat at 1667 State Route 49 in Constantia and functioned as a worship site under the Diocese of Syracuse.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- St. Bernadette Soubirous
- Rector
- Rev. Christopher J. Celentano (listed as Administrator of the mission under Divine Mercy Parish)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Syracuse
Why belong here
For 64 years St. Bernadette Mission was a beloved, close-knit Catholic chapel on Oneida Lake's north shore where families of the Constantia area gathered for Sunday Mass, the sacraments, and community life. Today, parishioners are warmly welcomed at the parent parish, Divine Mercy in Central Square, which continues the mission's sacramental ministry and retains all records of St. Bernadette Mission.
Mass times at St. Bernadette Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Bernadette Mission
St. Bernadette Mission was a small Roman Catholic mission chapel in the village of Constantia, Oswego County, New York, on the north shore of Oneida Lake. The mission served local Catholic families for 64 years before its closing Mass on July 16, 2023.
History
Founded in 1959, St. Bernadette Mission was named for St. Bernadette Soubirous, the visionary of Lourdes. The mission operated independently for decades before being attached to Divine Mercy Parish in Central Square in 2015. In July 2023, after years of declining rural Mass attendance and a regional clergy shortage, the Diocese of Syracuse and parish leadership discerned that the mission had come to completion.
- Founded 1959
- Attached to Divine Mercy Parish in 2015
- Closing Mass celebrated July 16, 2023
- 64 years of ministry
Connection to Divine Mercy Parish
Divine Mercy Parish in Central Square was formed in 2013 through the merger of St. Agnes of Brewerton and St. Michael of Central Square. It also serves St. Mary of the Assumption in Cleveland and, from 2015 until 2023, the Mission of St. Bernadette in Constantia. Today, the parish office at 592 South Main Street, Central Square, retains the sacramental records of the closed mission and welcomes former St. Bernadette parishioners into its worship and community life.
- Parish office: 592 South Main Street, Central Square, NY 13036
- Phone: (315) 676-2898
- Fax: (315) 676-3103
Closing of the Mission
The final Mass at St. Bernadette Mission was celebrated on July 16, 2023, chosen deliberately because that date marks the anniversary of St. Bernadette Soubirous's final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes in 1858. Pastor Fr. Seibt preached that the closure should be understood not as a failure but as a parish 'coming to completion,' echoing how religious orders speak of their work reaching its natural end. The congregation gave thanks for 64 years of faith, fellowship, and pastoral care on Oneida Lake's north shore.
Sacramental Records
All sacramental records of St. Bernadette Mission — including baptisms, marriages, and funerals — are retained at the Divine Mercy Parish office in Central Square. Former parishioners or family members seeking records should contact the parish office directly.
Contact
Inquiries related to the former mission and sacramental records should be directed to Divine Mercy Parish, the parent parish, in Central Square.
- Address: 592 South Main Street, Central Square, NY 13036
- Phone: (315) 676-2898
- Fax: (315) 676-3103
- Website: http://www.divinemercycny.org